by Stephen Reichard, Director, ReBuilding Center
Can I make a confession? I’m not very good at this stuff. I don’t mean serving as director of the ReBuilding Center (although the jury may still be out on that one). I’m referring to the whole reuse/rebuild/construction/deconstruction thing. The truth is, my background is healthcare and the reality is that I hang Dixie cup dispensers upside down. Honestly I did; although in fairness to me, you could still use it, albeit somewhat awkwardly.
But last summer, I took the first DIY class offered by the newly re-opened ReFind Education Shop. And I built the first piece of furniture I’ve ever built that sat squarely on the ground and didn’t wobble. It sits on my deck and I use it to hold my drink and an ashtray for a Friday evening cigar after a long week at the ReBuilding Center. I love it. The other pieces of furniture I’ve made? A desk, a bookshelf, and shelving for my garage. Recycled. Not even repurposed.
So, I’ve been holding on to this cute wooden flower vase/box that was gifted to us last year by friends we had over for dinner. The flower died (they always do… at our house anyway). But I couldn’t bear to toss it. So I held on to it. And then a few weeks ago, I figured out what to do with it.
Do you remember those nice queen bed frames we were selling last fall for $175? I purchased one to replace our lousy IKEA bed frame. Anyway, I kept all of the pine supports for the mattress. I had planned to take them down to the ReBuilding Center but then I got to thinking: it would be nice to have some birds keep me company while I’m enjoying my evening cigars. And I put two and two together and here’s what I came up with.
I turned four of the IKEA supports into stakes by cutting the bottoms at 45 degree angles. And then I screwed them into the corners of the box. Now I just need to paint it!